“Q&A a Day for Writers” Series – Tales of A Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: Immortality

Todayʻs prompt is on immortality. Create a character who is immortal and explain what they struggle with.

One day she woke up, many many years ago and knew immediately that something had changed. It was her 33rd year around the sun. Her younger siblings continued to age and become old, and yet, she stayed the same.

Sheʻs had some lovers here and there but whatʻs the point if each one will leave her? She was never able to have a family and she has never found someone that shares this curse. Sheʻs watched as every single one of her family members moved to different parts of the world and passed on. They began to forget as each new generation was born. They forgot that she was family – so she decided to separate herself.

Besides all of those “ailments”, if you will. Her biggest gripe is not being able to save everyone. Sheʻs lived through many wars, many pandemics, and many regimes and has seen so much pain and destruction. Although she has lived for so long, she has not found a way to fully help the people of the earth. For as the years go by, so does industrialization. There are only a few places left untouched. There is always something blocking her way.

Yes, living forever could be a gift, but to her, it has always been a curse. For the things she is trying to do, the things that make us all human: loving, having special people to grow old with, sharing secrets, changing someoneʻs life, is not measurable or possible when you can never die.

“Immortality is a terrible curse”
– Simone De Beauvoir

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Tales of a Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day f0r Writers: Poem from a Bookshelf

Todayʻs prompt sent me on a little journey!

Go to the edge of a bookshelf, count seven books in, and select the seventh page and the seventh sentence. Make a poem about something in that sentence.

Alright, so I chose the seventh book on my first shelf, which ended up being Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Page 7 is actually the first page of Chapter 1 and the last sentence of the page is actually only the third sentence (Carroll had very long sentences). Therefore, I will need to go onto the next page, haha.

“First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then she looked at the side of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs.” Carroll 8

Here we go! (Iʻm doing free verse, because that one comes more naturally to me)

I can’t see

Itʻs too dark to see anything.
Will anyone light a flame for me?
Will anyone reach out a hand?
Iʻve been sitting in this space - in my head
for I don't know how long. 
Sometimes I see pictures of what could be and what has been
kinda like maps with journeys waiting to be taken.
But I canʻt see that far.
I donʻt see the destination - itʻs out of reach
and out of sight because
its too dark to see anything.

This was a short one for you folks, maybe Iʻll incorporate more free verse poems in my posts – just for additional creative stimulation.

I like to write free verse a lot more than other types of poetry, because I am not as familiar with them. I also like not having rules when being creative.

This was a fun exercise and is simple to try for yourself! If you do try it, let me know what you come up with!

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: My Ideal Writing Conditions

Todayʻs post will be my last daily post. I really wanted to try out something new by attempting consecutive days and after nine (and whew, has it been hard), I have decided that I will be doing posts twice a week (starting next week). I would like to have more time to create thoughtful pieces and or do a little more research for you all. Thank you so much for sticking with me so far!

The prompt: E.B. White said “ a writer who waits for the ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” And although White has a point, describe your ideal conditions.

My ideal conditions are pretty simple. Letʻs do this one as a list!

To start – I would most definitely prefer writing on a computer/laptop (for my blog). I have written posts on my phone and iPad before, but it doesnʻt feel as good as typing on a keyboard.
Music would be playing – Any music that Iʻm interested in at the time, but if I need a lot more concentration – classical for sure.
A drink would be next to me – whether, itʻs coffee, tea, water, energy drink, juice, whatever – just not alcohol (I donʻt think I can drink and write, although that may prove to be a really good test)
Comfort – I would need to be comfortable. It could be comfy clothes, a comfy chair, cool air. Sometimes I need to take a shower before sitting down to write, it would depend on my mood. I think itʻs super important to be in a good physical space to get you into a good mental space which leads me to number five.
Good mental space – Writing while in a good mental space allows your ideas to flow freely. When I say good mental space, I do mean just the space for writing. Sometimes the saddest and angriest people write such beautiful things, controlled by their emotion of course.
Time – This one is probably the most important to me. If I need to rush, itʻs not gonna be my best. I re-read and re-read and edit and re-read again and edit so many times to get a near-perfect piece or paper. Which is why, I am choosing to lessen the amount of posts to twice a week. I want more time to write better content for you all.

These six things really influence whether or not what I am writing is my best. We all have ideal conditions in which we work on our hobbies and talents.

What are your ideal conditions for doing what you love?

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: The Sky

Today’s prompt is to describe the sky without using the words: blue, gray, clouds, green, or sun.

When I look up into the heavens I see something grand. My initial thought when I open my eyes it’s to see what the sky looks like. It’s miraculous, it’s nothing short of exquisite. It’s the purples and the oranges and the yellows that travel like watercolor exploding across a canvas, when the day finally meets up with the night. It’s the trails of white, sometimes it looks like cotton balls, fluffy and big, but sometimes its like beautiful lace strewn across a white surface. Some days the sky is sad. Where the tears fall, our grass grow, our land is replenished. And on some days the sky is furious, flooding the earth and cleansing everything. The sky offers us so much.

Can you imagine a world without that. It would be a shame to only see a blank canvas when we look towards the heavens? Can you imagine little fingers reaching for the stars and not seeing anything there? Can you imagine laying on a blanket face up and not being able to count how many floating pictures you see go by? Can you imagine not being able to connect with a spiritual realm because there were no sky?

It has so much to offer to us, the color, the presence, the rain, the moon, the stars – all of it like a beautiful blanket. Could you imagine life without it?

Yeah, me neither.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: … What makes you great tomorrow

Todayʻs topic is a really good one and is really important for kids today and tomorrow to know.

What does this quote from James Victore mean to you, “the things that make you weird as a kid will make you great tomorrow.”

James Victore is a graphic designer and encourages all to create art that is unique to their selves even if it is a little different.

This quote is a really good one. I was one of those weird kids growing up, you know? I had the crazy curly hair and liked a purple/orange color combination. I loved to read and would sit for hours with my head in the books. Iʻm sure I will be at my utmost potential later in life, but I can feel myself making the moves to getting there.

Overall, I see this quote to mean that each kid who has a quirk that is out of the norm or who chooses to eat their food a different way could probably be the next great five star chef or master pastry chef. The kid that spends a lot of time playing with and taking apart electronics will probably build the next rocket ship for space travel. The kid who sells food on your neighborhood street could possibly end up being a big entrepreneur powerhouse of your community. The possibilities are endless!

We should never forget to empower these children to be the best that they can be. There is no wrong in being a child, and all the little quirks and differences make them even more special when they grow up. Children never stop dreaming and are so full of life. We should uplift them.

Take what you are and move forward.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: Fill-In “Burning”

Todayʻs prompt is a creative one! I havenʻt written anything creative in quite some time, so I will give myself some grace, haha. Oh, and disclaimer, whatever else you read from this point on has nothing to do with my own life (although, you might never know and that is truly the beauty of creative writing).

______ is burning. Fill in the space and the rest of the scene.

His heart is burning. Not literally, but it almost feels that way.

Today, he woke up and something didn’t feel right. As soon as his eyes opened, he saw the sun rising through the curtain. The orange and the yellows blending together creating the most beautiful color he had ever seen. It seemed like it would be a good day, granted by this beautiful sight. However, in the pit of his stomach, he felt sick. Something was wrong.

He turns his head, and the other side of the bed was empty. She usually wakes earlier than him, he’s not really a morning person. He sits up and slides off of the bed. Itʻs eerily quiet. At this time, he usually can hear the bustling of objects as she packs his lunch and makes his coffee, humming along or giggling to the words of a podcast or YouTube video. How odd?

He slowly begins his descent down the stairs, the sound of creaking footsteps leading him. Hm, he smells freshly made coffee sitting in the coffee pot, but no mug was out for him on the kitchen counter. He opens the fridge and his food is sitting in containers from the night before – leftover spaghetti. He calls out for her. No response. He calls out again to an empty home.

He spots her purse by the door, her phone on the table, and her keys on the wall still hanging. Something is wrong. Where could she have gone? Unsure, he opens the front door with the sun already a quarter of the way into the sky. He calls out again. No voices, except the sound of the the little brown birds tweeting from the tree on the front lawn. It seems the whole neighborhood has already left to start their day or are still sleeping.

He walks out of the house and around to the back yard. The pool is empty, aside from just a few flowers from the neighbors tree floating around in the water. He sees no sign of her having been there, and the back door is still locked. His concern is now growing. He walks back inside the front door and begins checking the guest bathroom and bedroom. Sometimes she sits in here if sheʻs on a work call leaning on the brown desk we picked up from her coworker. Nope. She’s not there. He calls out again and goes back upstairs to grab his phone. Now is the time to call 911. People donʻt just disappear. She wouldnʻt disappear.

He returns to the bedroom and retrieves his phone from his nightstand. A piece of paper was under it. He picks it up curiously, hopefully its a note. He must have missed it, distracted by the sunrise and discomfort for no apparent reason. His eyes are scanning the small torn piece of notebook paper and reads as his expression turns cold and angry:

I have no words for you. None. Here is all I have mustered up.

How could you? I gave you everything. I answered a phone call. You know the one that says ʻElectric Companyʻ? Yeah, that’s not the electric company.

I was good, wasnʻt I?

His heart is burning. The same way he burned her. Today he deserves that feeling, for how do you distinguish a heart that is fueled by kerosene?

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Tales of a Curly Island Girl

Q & A Day for Writers: Why do you write?

Hello again!

Although I do have plans to write in other categories and on other topics for my blog, I did want to start a new series this year. This series is inspired from the Q&A a Day for Writers book, which is a 1-year journal published by Clarkson Potter. There are simple prompts for each day of the year to encourage more writing. If you wanted to check it out, click here.

Todayʻs question is “Why do you write? What does it do for you?”

What a great question, right? Why do I write?

I write for myself. It doesnʻt bother me if my audience is small or no one reads through the entire post. I like to let my words out on “paper”. Writing means so much more to me because I can take time to think about what I am trying to convey, I can erase something that doesnʻt make sense, and I can continue to re-read what I wrote.

I do have friends and family who have suggested I vlog as well, but here’s the thing. I like to talk on camera, sure, but thereʻs just something about reading words that I feel more emotional with and not as compelled by listening/seeing someone talk. It might be because in a video there are other distractions. If you wanted to read something, you would read it (and thereʻs only words!).

Writing is a release. Ask any writer, that would be the cliché answer for sure. Writing something good is like reading a really good book. You can get lost in it for a bit. Now I’m not talking about writing a research paper, that is different from writing for fun (although, I donʻt mind research papers either). This is the kind of writing I like. I pick a topic or am inspired by an event or person(s) and just kind of dive in.

I take pride in a good post or paper (even paragraphs, hello texting haha). It reminds me why I like to read and why I like to learn. It inspires me to reach farther and expand my mind.

If you are a writer, what does writing do for you? If you are not a writer, but you find yourself here reading my blog, does my love for writing and reading equate to another project or hobby you love just as much? What is it?

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl